A stoic-looking elderly man at North Bridge Road Market and Food Centre was recently featured in a Facebook post.

The post was shared over 22,000 times in a day with many Singaporeans expressing concern about the well-being of the senior folk.

Here's the post if you have not seen it:

North Bridge Road Market and Food Centre is located in the Lavender area beside the Immigration & Checkpoints Authority.

Elderly man says he is okay

When Mothership went down to the shop during the late morning on Aug. 31, the man, surnamed Huang, was still sitting on the same stool.

He was busy packing packets of raw peanuts at his sundry shop, which he has been around since 1974.

He said he procured his own goods from the supplier, much like other dry goods distributors, but in smaller quantities.

The stall used to be at the second level in the market but has since moved down to this present spot at the first level.

When asked if he's in need of help, Huang said that he's doing fine.

As he puts it: "It's enough to get by even though I do not earn a lot."

He said not many people visited his stall by late morning, and he appeared not to have been aware that his image and the accompanying caption have been making the rounds on Facebook.

Works 7 to 8 hours a day

Huang, in his 80s, said that he lives at "Da Po", which was the area the older Chinese folks used to refer to, located opposite the Singapore River, covering Raffles Place, Chinatown, and Telok Ayer.

He would take a bus to come to the shop every day at 6:30am and closes by around 3pm to 4pm.

Huang said that the patrons of this market are usually those who live in the area, which are mainly the elderly as well.

He added that he closes later than the rest of the tenants, who shutter their shops by around 1pm, because he packs up slowly.

A relative of Huang also visited him at 11:45am, checking if he is well and in need of anything.

When asked if he wants some kopi, Huang gestured to two cups of kopi placed on the floor behind the weighing scale.

Huang also said that his younger brother came to visit the sundry shop the day before as well.

Affordable goods for cooking

While Huang does not seem to be in urgent need of help, if you are curious, his shop sells a variety of dry goods, which include tau kee, dried mushrooms, beans, potatoes, canned food and instant noodles just to name a few.

Each packet of raw peanuts, green or black beans, brown or rock sugar is selling at S$1.

In light of Covid-19, the management of the market and hawker centre also helped to put up this Safe Entry QR code at the top right-hand corner of the shop.

If you are dropping by, do remember to check-in yourself and maintain a safe distance with the elderly man.

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Top photos by Zheng Zhangxin